Is social media causing the spike in mental ill-health, self-harm and suicidal ideation in young people and are age restrictions the answer?

This commentary piece explores the question ‘is social media causing the increase in mental ill-health, self-harm and suicidal ideation in young people and if so, age restrictions are the answer?’ Whilst there is no question that rates of mental ill-health, self-harm and suicidal ideation are increasing in young people, questions certainly remain regarding the role of social media and, in turn, whether blanket age restriction will help solve these problems. In this piece we draw on the findings from two Lancet Commissions which highlight that the factors contributing to mental ill-health, self-harm and suicide are complex and include a range of social determinants and individual factors, of which social media is likely only one [1,2]. We also note that the relationship between social media use and mental health, self-harm and suicide, is poorly understood, with most of the evidence correlational at best. Indeed, our own research identifies that in addition to the potential for harm social media can provide a range of benefits, including social connection and access to help and information, often in the absence of professional help [3]. When it comes to the question of age restrictions, there is no evidence to support blanket restrictions, and in fact the potential for unintended harmful consequences exists, leading us to conclude that if we really want to tackle the current youth mental health crisis, we need a much more comprehensive and evidence-based approach.